Sidmouth silver celebrations at Victoria Hotel

East Devon Luncheon Club mark 25th anniversary with celebratory lunch and cake

EIGHT founding members and long-serving committee members of East Devon Luncheon Club joined in with silver celebrations at Sidmouth’s Victoria Hotel on Tuesday.

Welcomed by chairman, Evelyn Cooper, members enjoyed a celebratory lunch, following by a talk from journalist Di Bowerman about her career, from cub reporter to news editor of the Sidmouth Herald.

It was the Sidmouth Herald that was instrumental in the formation of the club.

Following an advertisement in the newspaper in 1986, Susanne and Eric Golding organised the first luncheon meeting at the Victoria Hotel on October 21 of that year.

Lunches have been held there ever since, to date, some 15,000.

Mrs Cooper, who cut the anniversary cake, given by the hotel, owned by the Brend Group, was pictured holding it with president David Earwood, left, Helen Connell, a founder member and former chairman, and David Stuart, former chairman and president.

Those joining the chairman and president on the top table were founding members Audrey Hoggett, Dorothy Osmond, a founder and committee member, Jean and Dennis Goodchild, Norma Stuart, Harry Jagger, Pamela Spillane, who was luncheon secretary for many years, David Stuart, Roy Cooper, an ex-president, and founding member Helen Connell, who was chairman for a year.